THousand yard stare
by Walkerlurker
Summary: Sequel to 'we were soldiers' beginning where it left of...
1. Chapter 1

The walker groans as it stumbles forwards, growling and moaning. His mother. The gaping hole in her head is dripping with warm, hot blood. Fear surges through him. Anger. _ You gotta do what's right baby..._

Carl shot up in his sleeping bag; His weapon gripped tightly in his hands, sheer terror running through his veins. He was soaked with sweat, and his whole body was shaking. He tried to control his breathing. Beth stirred, sitting in up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.  
'C-Carl what's the matter? Hey you're shaking' she said, draping her arm around him. Carl was still unable to reply.  
'Hey, hey it's OK, I got you, you're safe now' She reassured him, hugging him tighter. Carl dared himself to speak.  
'I-I'm OK...I-its nothing...' Carl lied. He couldn't let her know he was scared. She would think less of him. Men didn't get scared. Did they? He felt embarrassed about his fear, he didn't like discussing it, and there was no body to talk to about it.

It had been a restless night. Carl awoke to see the sun just rising, making the sky light up.  
Rick was standing in the courtyard, talking to Maggie and Glenn.  
'Anyone seen Carl?' he asked  
'He...Um...He's in the guard tower...maybe with Beth' Glenn was clearly uncomfortable.  
'Guard tower? With Beth? They must have been there all night' Rick chuckled.  
'Carl!' He yelled.  
The boy popped his head up, wearing a crumpled shirt and jeans, wiping the sleep out of his eyes.  
'Beth and Carl, sitting in a guard tower, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!' Maggie shouted, giggling at the boys blush. He knew he was busted.

Carl and Beth sat on the bed in Rick's cell. Both wore bright blushes of embarrassment.  
'Look, I don't mind if there's something going on between you two' Rick Began.  
'You're old enough to like each other. But, if you're going out like that, you need to tell someone.'_OH God, Carl thought. He thinks we're dating...Beth was going to kill him._  
'Dad...it's not like that I swear its not...'  
'OK, Carl, that's not my point. You two can go, but Carl, I'll talk to you about this later'  
Carl nodded and walked out, feeling like he wished the world would stop and swallow him up.

'Err, Hey Beth'  
'Hey kiddo' She replied.  
'Look, I-err, I'm sorry about my dad...I know were not together...I-I mean...'  
'Carl, its ok...Anyway...I've been thinking...You're kinda...kinda, like...cute' Beth said, looking down shyly at the floor, she noticed a blush spread across his face.  
' T-thank-thank you...I, um, I kinda think you're like, pretty...like beautiful I mean' He looked dead nervous, a trait Beth found endearing. But that was how he felt. He felt butterflies in his stomach.  
'So...you...maybe, like, wanna do something? Like a date...or no, not a date, it d-doesn't have to b-be a date...but, like it could be...if-if you wanted it to be, but like it, doesn't have to be...' He was blabbering now. Beth smiled, pulling up her finger and putting it to his lips  
'Ssshhhh...I would love for it to be a date Carl...'


	2. Chapter 2: Hostage

Shane's old Hyundai trundled down the deserted road. The way out of the prison was relatively clear, unlike most roads, clogged with abandoned vehicles, and so many bodies...Some walkers still trapped in their cars, still wearing seatbelts, too stupid to unbuckle them.  
Inside the car, Rick sat in the driving seat, concentrating hard on the road ahead, scanning for any threat. Abraham sat in the front, cradling his M4 in his muscular arms. In the back seat a nervous looking Carl and Beth, whose father reluctantly agreed to let her out, after she'd asked to go for experience, nattering away about their relationship. They had started dating recently, after Carl's awkward, but somewhat sweet attempt to ask her out. Rick was proud of his son, finding someone in a world like this, and secretly he thought Carl and Beth were cute.

The Car slowed to a halt in the middle of a small town. It looked relatively empty, with just four cars sitting abandoned on the scarily empty streets. The four of them hopped out of the car.  
'Abraham, Your with me, Carl, Beth, I want you to take the pharmacy, check it for anything we could use.' Carl nodded. 'Take care of her son'. With that Carl began to feel slightly embarrassed

Carl moved in through the broken glass door first, protectively making sure Beth was behind him. HE crept through the hallway, his berretta aimed and ready. Nothing. He lowered his weapon. To late did he feel someone grabbing him from behind. Strong arms wrapped around his neck, grabbing both of his handguns. He heard a yell, and then saw Beth in the same position.

The two were frog-marched out the front of the store. Carl was shaking with fear. He could visibly see his hands trembling if he looked at them. He tried not to. He felt a mixture of emotions-Anger, embarrassment and shame that he'd let someone get the drop on him, and absolute, gut wrenching, bowel emptying fear.

They were forced onto their knees at their car. Rick was there to, though he managed to look relatively calm for someone with a gun pointed at him.  
'I'm going to kill one of you. You need to know that I'm serous, so one of you has to die' said the tallest man. He had long, curly brown hair, and a beard, and wore old, brown boots, black jeans and leather jacket. He pulled out a pistol, a Colt 1911. After quickly pacing for a few minutes, He placed it next to Carl's head.  
'Don't you fucking touch him! Take me! Take Me!' Rick yelled, to no avail. Carl was to terrified to speak, as the man pulled back the hammer on the weapon.  
He closed his eyes, whimpering with fear. He heard a gunshot...two gunshots, then a burst of fully automatic fire. He dared himself to open his eyes. All three of the men were dead. Abraham moved closer, his weapon trained on there bodies.

The journey home had been rapid and urgent. Carl was still shaking visibly, as Beth tried to calm him down, though it didn't help that Beth was terrified herself.

Now the young couple sat alone on the perch of the cell block, propped up on blankets. And pillows. He was curled up next her, and she had an arm around him. He hated admitting he was scared. He was embarrassed by it.  
'You don't have to cover it up, you know. Everyone gets scared. Me, your dad, Maggie, Glenn, everyone-with the possible exception of Daryl Dixon...' Beth said.  
'I-I guess so...but when I'm scared...I d-don't do things right...I do' Beth cut him off.  
'It's OK to be scared...you handled yourself better than I did today, you didn't mess up Carl. By the way, I like it when you stutter, its-its kind of adorable' Beth admitted. With this sudden change of subject, Carl felt a little better. He looked into his girlfriends eyes. She was truly stunning.


End file.
